SEA7 Seabird and Marine Mammal Observations from the RSS Charles Darwin Cruise CD174

A 2005 survey recorded 7,578 birds of 37 species and sightings of five cetacean species during the Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA7 cruise CD174 in the Rockall Trough. The data was collected onboard the RSS Charles Darwin by the British Geological Survey, with the track covering the Firth of Clyde, North Channel, continental shelf, and Rockall Trough margins. Survey conditions were frequently poor due to unseasonable weather.

Use Cases

• Modeling seabird species abundance based on recorded counts of 37 species, including fulmars, gannets, and great shearwaters.
• Analyzing cetacean distribution patterns from sightings of five species, including common dolphins, pilot whales, and sperm whales.
• Assessing environmental impacts on marine life by correlating observation densities with geographic features like the Stanton Bank and Anton Dohrn Seamount.
• Studying the effect of atypical weather conditions on species presence, as suggested by the description of strong westerly winds influencing great shearwater numbers.

Strengths

• Provides specific species counts, including 7,578 total birds and 37 distinct species.
• Includes detailed geographic context, specifying the cruise track and areas of elevated density like the Stanton Bank.
• Notes environmental conditions during collection, such as unseasonably poor weather, which may inform data interpretation.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale modeling.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

British Geological Survey, collected for the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change).

Collection Method

Onboard visual survey during the RSS Charles Darwin cruise CD174.

Time Range

2005

Freshness

Data is from a 2005 survey; update frequency is unknown.

Geography

Rockall Trough, Firth of Clyde, North Channel, continental shelf, Stanton Bank, Anton Dohrn Seamount, eastern Rockall Bank.